Apprenticeships in the pharmaceutical industry
Apprenticeships: an alternative way to train a new generation of workers with industrial training and accompanying study.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships allow candidates to gain experience in a work setting whilst also working towards a qualification. Qualifications can range in levels, which can be equivalent from GCSE up to a Masters degree. They also vary in length and there is a wide range of business areas to choose from. Even within the pharmaceutical industry, there are scientific and non-scientific roles available. The recently published life science competitive indicators captured a total of 1,240 apprentices within the life science sector 1.
Business area
Figure 1. Business area of apprenticeships from the 2024 survey. Responses from 13 companies including nil returns.
17 different business areas were reported in the 2024 survey.
Research & development continues to be the most popular business area for apprenticeships in the pharmaceutical industry (40.4%). However, there is clearly a wide range of business areas represented with other (18%) as second, followed by IT (15.6%).
Case study: Apprenticeships with UCB
Issy Howe tells us about her experience as a HR Apprentice at UCB and the opportunities this apprenticeship offers.
Joel Baldwin tells us about his experience as a Level 7 Statistician Apprentice at UCB and the opportunities this apprenticeship offers.
Level of apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are offered at different levels. Below shows the equivalent levels for 'traditional' qualifications.
- Level 2 – GCSE
- Level 3 – A level
- Level 4 & 5 – foundation degree
- Level 6 – Bachelor’s degree with honours
- Level 7 – Masters degree
From the 2024 survey, the ABPI captured every level of apprenticeship from level 2 to level 7. Almost half of apprenticeships from the 2024 survey are level 6 (47%). Just over 1 in 6 apprenticeships are level 3 (17.4%), or level 7 (16.9%). It is clear that high-level apprenticeship qualifications are valued in the pharmaceutical sector.
Level 6 apprenticeships continue to be the most popular.
Figure 2. Proportion of levels of apprenticeships delivered from 2024 survey. Responses based on 544 apprenticeships from 13 companies including nil returns.
Duration of Apprenticeships
Figure 3. Duration of apprenticeships from 2024 survey. Responses from 13 companies including nil returns.
The duration of apprenticeships often reflects the level of the qualification to be awarded. The 2024 survey has captured 4 years as the most common duration for apprenticeships in the pharmaceutical sector.
This is likely due to level 6 apprenticeships being the most common level offered within the pharmaceutical industry.
References
1 - Sciences, O. for L. (2024) Life Sciences sector data, 2024, GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-sector-data-2024.
Become an apprentice
For more information about apprenticeships with the pharmaceutical industry including answers to questions such as:
- What can I study?
- Will I get a qualification?
- Will I be paid?
As well as guidance on finding an apprenticeship and how to go about applying.
Read our detailed guidance on apprenticeships.
Last modified: 18 December 2024
Last reviewed: 18 December 2024